The Investigation Into The France & Wales Six Nations Game Just Went Up A Notch

It looks like France aren’t going to get away with this.

Six Nations chiefs have decided that the controversial substitution of Uini Atonio for scrummaging expect Rabah Slimani during an astonishing 20-minute overtime period in Paris is worthy of further investigation and have deferred the case to the tournament’s Untoward Incident Review Group.

Slimani had been replaced earlier in the game by Atonio but was allowed to return to the field with the French team’s doctor saying that had to go off for a head injury assessment.

“There is evidence to suggest the integrity of the game has been brought into disrepute,” Wales interim head coach Rob Howley said at the time.

Six Nations issued the following statement regarding the incident.

Following its preliminary investigation into the replacements made in the latter stages of the France v Wales match on 18 March 2017 (and in particular the replacement of Uini Atonio by Rabah Slimani), Six Nations Rugby has decided to refer the matter to the independent Six Nations Untoward Incident Review Group (UIRG) for review.